On Deck: Volquez vs. Geer

Did Friday night's Padres win represent a turning point, or was it just a brief respite?

The Padres played a sharp, crisp game in the opener of a nine-game homestand Friday night, defeating the Reds 5-3 to end a six-game losing streak – which actually represented all six games of a road trip to Houston and Chicago.

But the Padres haven’t won two straight games since they won three straight April 16-18. And when all the numbers are crunched, the Padres are still 5-19 over their last 24 games and the Reds have won six of their last eight.

SATURDAY'S GAME

Geer vs. Reds: Geer has never faced Cincinnati. Geer at Petco Park: 2-0 career with a 3.41 ERA in five games (four starts)

Reds vs. Geer

Willy Taveras: .667 (2-for-3, SO)

Reds RHP Edinson Volquez (4-2, 4.40 ERA)

Volquez vs. Padres: 0-1 career with a 1.17 ERA in two games (both in 2008). Volquez at Petco Park: 0-1, 1.17 ERA in two games.

Padres vs. Volquez

Henry Blanco: .000 (0-for-2, 2 SO)

Jody Gerut: .250 (1-for-4, 2B, SO)

Brian Giles: .250 (1-for-4, 2B)

Adrian Gonzalez: .333 (1-for-3, HR, HBP, SO)

Scott Hairston: .000 (0-for-2, BB, 2 SO)

Kevin Kouzmanoff: .333 (1-for-3, HR, BB, SO)

THE SKINNY

Geer is coming off the worst start of his career. He gave up seven runs (five earned) on seven hits and three walks in just three-plus innings at Houston last Sunday. In his long previous start at Petco Park this season, Geer allowed one run on five hits over eight innings against Colorado on May 5. Geer has a career record of 2-2 with an ERA of 3.35 in nine starts dating back to the end of last season.

Volquez is coming off the second-worst start of his season. He allowed seven runs in 6 2/3 innings at St. Louis last Sunday. He didn’t get the loss in what had been the Reds only loss of the previous week before Friday night. Before that start, Volquez had worked 16 straight scoreless innings over two starts while lowering his ERA from 6.20 to 3.47. Last May 25, Volquez lost to the Padres at Petco Park in a strange game. Two days after allowing only one run over six innings against the Padres, he was the 10th Reds pitcher to work in an 18-inning game. A two-out error by Joey Votto preceeded a three-run, walk-off homer by Adrian Gonzalez.